Free Torchlight by Lisa T. Bergren Page A

could.”
    Trevor smiled as he walked out the door and headed for the cottage. But as he walked, he couldn’t help but wonder if he should keep on walking. Because back there, at the house, was surely trouble.

    Tara turned off the lights and locked the door to the restaurant. Now that it was spring again, she could walk home in the evenings. She enjoyed the cool night air after a long shift in the humid kitchen.
    Ben emerged from the shadows and began to follow her, undetected. It was his habit to see that Tara got home safely. But for some reason he could never tell her or escort her openly.
It’s easier and safer this way
, he told himself.
We’re just friends.
It had really gotten complicated last summer. Their friendship had deepened over the past year as Ben had shared with Tara his struggles over raising a teenager alone. Mike and Tara were crazy about each other. She was a logical and attractive choice for the widower.
    But whenever Ben saw her laugh, his mind spun crazily back to times he had watched her laugh with Sharon in the kitchen of his own home. Sharon. He wondered if the ache in his heart would ever end.
Oh, Sharon, I miss you.
    He justified his reasons for following Tara home, for eating at her restaurant three times a week, and for often visiting her at the house on Saturdays with Mike.
It’s for Mike. The boy needs a mother figure around.
But Ben had to admit, he enjoyed Tara’s company too. The thought of her moving away threw him for a loop. He stared at her diminutive figure, bundled in a fisherman’s coat, and concentrated on quietly keeping pace with her. He wouldn’t confuse the issue by outwardly escorting her home.
    During his second weekend in Maine, Miles slept at a tiny inn, refusing to stay at Torchlight, which was again without any running water while the crew worked on the upstairs plumbing. He tried to talk Julia into staying with him, but she refused, ignoring his obvious insinuation.
    “Come on, Julia, we’re practically engaged.”
    “But we’re not really engaged, are we, Miles? And even if we were, I still wouldn’t sleep with you.”
    “Hmm. Can I help it if I find you incredibly attractive? But play by the rules; I respect that. In any case, it’s not sanitary to live in a place without water. Come into some semblance of civilization. Stay with me. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
    “No, thank you. We’ll have water back in a few days, and in the meantime, I’ve made do with a shower at Tara’s every couple of days. I reserved some water for sponge baths before they shut off the main. Really, Miles, where’s your sense of adventure?”
    He looked at her askance. “I could ask the same question, but I’ll ignore that comment because I don’t want to ruin our weekend together. We have some wonderful plans.”
    “We do?”
    “Well, don’t look so surprised. Your old Miles has a trick or two up his sleeve.”
    She smiled at the glint in his eye. “Such as …?”
    “I’m going to show you the town.”
    “Miles! I’d love that. I haven’t had much of a chance to see anything, with all the work to be done here at Torchlight.”
    “Good. Then it’s a date.”
    He was moving to kiss her when Trevor walked in the front door. Miles scowled at him as he and Julia parted. “Don’t you knock?”
    “Good to see you, too, Beckley. Guess you didn’t realize, this house is my work zone. Julia stays in her room if she wants privacy.” He looked at his boss for the first time. Trevor clearly understood he had broken up a romantic moment and was doing his best to stifle a smile. “That’s still the arrangement, right?”
    Julia shifted, obviously uncomfortable with the way Trevor was drawing her to his side of the sparring. “That’s true—”
    “There you have it. Straight from the boss’s mouth.”
    He brushed by as Miles bristled. “Isn’t it a bit late for work?”
    “I get paid for overtime.” Trevor’s eyes twinkled with mischief. He headed toward the